005.

Dawn’s POV:

Tears streamed down my face and I winced when I was thrown to the floor like I was nothing but a rag doll. Pain shot up my spine from the impact of my body hitting the marble and I cried out in anguish.

I was only distracted for a minute when my view came into focus and I realized that indeed I had been thrown into the lion’s den. Into that beast’s chamber, and there was practically nothing I could do about it. The place was luxurious and beautiful and had me gasping from the sheer beauty of it all. The entire interior decoration had been done in gray and white, from the furniture, the walls, even the curtains and the fluffy rug beside the bed. The only thing of a different color was the golden chandelier hanging high in the ceiling… but it screamed class.

I couldn’t comprehend how just one person was able to acquire so much wealth but before I could let my thoughts stray into thinking about that, I remembered my plight. I needed to get out of here and I needed to find a way fast. Growing up, I heard stories, stories of what happened when Werewolves took humans into their territories and none of the stories I heard were good.

While some were used as laborers, a few were turned into food… and some were sex slaves. I didn’t want my case to be like one of those and with that in mind, I rushed to my feet, dashed to the door and tried to pry it open. Unfortunately, it was locked.

I tried several more times, crying hysterically when the door wouldn’t budge, and after about an eternity of trying, I slumped to the floor, wailing, hoping that somehow he would no longer find me useful and then he would let me go.

This thought was all I had in mind, the only wish I made as I cried myself to sleep, oblivious to the agonizing screams coming from the dungeon several floors below.

*

I woke up with a start, peeling my eyes open when I heard the sound of footsteps close by. Sitting up, I was shocked to find a girl of about my age in the room holding up a dress and when she caught me watching her, she chuckled nervously and then came to squat in front of me.

“Hi, I’m Selene and I’m sorry I woke you up but Alpha Xavier asked me to get you.” She said softly, eyeing my face.

Oh, so his name is Xavier?

“What is your name?” She asked me and when I still wouldn’t speak, she added; “I can’t waste his time more than I already have so you need to get up, you need to change into this dress… it’s his orders, not mine.”

Still, I didn’t say a word. I didn’t even glance at the dress she was talking about.

Selene’s countenance shifted and suddenly, I was no longer staring into the face of the pretty teenage-looking girl anymore. I was looking into the eyes of an enraged werewolf whose orbs seemed to be set ablaze with an emotion I was so used to now. Rage.

I was also angry myself but in this case, there wasn’t much I could do; after all, I was only a human. Quickly scrambling to my feet, I eyed the dress just once before I shed off the clothes I had been wearing and threw it over my head. All these while, Selene’s gaze did not leave my body once.

She combed my hair and after styling it into a ponytail, she began to tug at my arm, pushing me in the direction of the door, and oh boy, her grip was like stone. Very hard and impossible to shake off.

She led me downstairs to a room that was so wide and beautiful, it looked like it was straight out of a movie, and then suddenly, she turned to whisper to me; “I like you, I really do, so I’ll tell you this just once… whatever happens in there, behave yourself. My brother can be a monster when he wants to and I wouldn’t like it if you were brought out of there several minutes later as a corpse.”

Her not-so-subtle warning made a sudden shiver run up my spine. I wanted to thank her for the advice, to let her know that I appreciated her efforts even though she didn’t do anything for me but I couldn’t. Instead, I simply said; “My name is Dawn.”

She seemed taken aback for a second and when she recovered, she flashed a smile at me. I was just about to smile back when we arrived in front of a large double door, she pushed the door open and just then, another hand, bigger and rougher this time wrapped itself around my arm. I winced at the impact.

“Thank you, princess,” the gruff voice called out to her and just like that, she disappeared down the hallway.

It was then that her words registered in my mind. She was the princess. The stupid arrogant Alpha was her brother!

Before I could get to ponder over the weirdness of the last few minutes of my life, I was led into a small dimly lit room that was painted all in red. The ambiance screamed wealth, but at the same time, it looked dangerous. Too dangerous. It made me shiver from fear.

From the distance, I could hear voices, the voices of men that spoke too loudly. They sounded like they were in a business meeting… up until I heard Alpha Xavier’s voice loud and clear.

“I know that it’s not every time that vampires and werewolves get to deal, Don, and to seal the deal, I have come with a peace offering, a blood bank. Take it as a treaty. She’s my most recent prisoner and has never been fed off before but while you go at it, please do not drain her clean.”

I stopped walking.

Of all the things I had thought he wanted to do to me, this was not one of them. My heart hammered in my chest painfully as tears began to stream down my face immediately.

I hated this. I hated that I was in this situation, and worst of all, I hated that that arrogant prick was my mate.

Obviously, he was doing all of these to spite me. He probably felt the mate bond and was disgusted by it, he was irritated because I am a human girl and that is why he decided to punish me this way. I couldn’t stop crying and the soldier, the one who held me, didn't stop dragging me toward the room despite my reluctance.

“That sounds like a lovely treaty!” Another voice rang out, another voice that sounded so familiar but I was too scared to pay attention.

“Indeed, it is…” Alpha Xavier announced, and with a smile in his voice, he added; “…and she’s here!”

As we neared the room, I closed my eyes. I prayed that I would just drop dead right now just so that I would never get to experience the feeling of having someone’s fangs sinking into my skin. However, my prayers were not answered. I didn't even get the chance to start praying as the soldier suddenly shoved me into a room with so much force that I fell to the floor.

My breath hitched.

My heart stopped beating.

I wouldn’t even open my eyes.

A minute passed and so did several more minutes, and after what felt like an eternity, I slowly pried my eyes open. I glanced up carefully, gasping when I was met with three sets of beautiful eyes.

Two out of the three called out that word I have grown to abhor so much now; “Mate!”

And while one was Zade, my sweet vampire from the other day, the other was someone else, someone I had never seen in my life. From his facial features, it was obvious that he was a werewolf but he didn’t exude so much power like Alpha Xavier did.

… And Alpha Xavier, the worst of them all, was standing in a corner, fuming and confused.

I was confused too.